Can you make good money with radiology? I'm thinking of switching
Posted By: from switching from acute care/ops, too. nm on 2008-03-12
In Reply to: I'm learning radiology now after 19 years - annabanana
nm
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Do Radiology MTs make more money?
 New to profession, and wondering if radiology MTs make most of the money ? I heard that they usually do because it is so repetitive.
My mistake, I am not thinking tonight, I actually make 11.5 cpl, clinic notes. I earn my money thou
nm
bless your heart for thinking $10-12/hour is good money - nm
nm
Switching to radiology.......sm
I made the mistake a few years back of switching to a radiology account because it had a better schedule for me. I had never done radiology, but I had the attitude that a lot of experienced, well rounded MTs do. With such a vast knowledge of medical transcription.. how hard could it be? Wow, was I in for a rude awakening! Radiology is a language unto itself and if you think it's easy, you're wrong. It gave me a whole new perspective of Rad MTs. So if you’re considering taking on radiology without experience or training, you might want to think twice.
Switching to radiology - help, pay, etc.
I am thinking of switching to radiology (for a change) after doing all other specialties for over 21 years. I feel I can make the transition okay after a learning curve, as I have transcribed a lot of ortho, physiatry, physical therapy, etc.,which should help some. Here is where I need some help..... My offer was for 10/line gross count and right now I am working for 9/line, 65 ch, but I have no idea how this compares because radiology reports are different and a lot shorter, etc. etc. I am used to making pretty good money since I have done this for so long and just want to make sure I am not going backwards in pay. I definitely cannot afford that in this economy. So for those of you who have experience in radiology can you give my your thoughts and ideas on expectations for this pay rate (obviously after my learning curve). Thanks so much for any help!! Also, feel free to e-mail if preferred.
That's definitely good money. I wish I could make that much.
I'm making about $1,400 a MONTH working 25-30 hours per week. ESLs, run out of work often, lousy platform. What's the point any more? I definitely need to pick up some local accounts and never work for another national.
Oh man....that is NOT good...how do you make any money?
Four. And they make very good money.
But I get your point. But you asked!
Oh, but I make really good money
so I did not understand where this was coming from. You see, I have no children at home, only 2 of us, no bills, I only work part because that is all I want but still bring home about $1500.00 every 2 weeks, so no need to feel sorry. I said I type fast.
I used to make really good money.
Anywhere from $28-50 per hour. Same few dictators, lots of templates and Expander usage, pay averaged out to be $.12 per line. I only wanted to work part-time, but the company would have worked me full-time. One particular doctor was so easy, I could do 400+ lph for him. He only had maybe an hour of work per day. Voice recognition has my job now. I've been unemployed for the past six months. But 537 lph consistently? I don't know about that. It would have to be the same pool of dictators and the MT's expander stats would have to be HIGH!
I would please like to know how you make good money at it.
Would you care to share your cents-per-line and lines-per-hour with us? Roughly?
It would help alleviate the anxiety about it for some of us if we can hear from the horse's mouth (no insult intended) how this can be a good living for us. Especially when there are so many things to slow us down like ESLs and poor dictators and bad sound.
Thank you.
Wow, people! Thanks for the info on AT&T. I was thinking of switching over to them sm
I have had problems with my internet service on occasion, but I am not not without service for five days though! Yikes! And good point about complaining that they might charge you for a business line in another posting here. I think I would still switch though and ask companies how long their customers are usually without service, i.e. ask how long before service is restored.
Is it possible to make good money working for someone else?
.
I think that is all attitude. I make very good money at MT.
I can make good money without overtime
I posted below but when I saw your post and it said crap- I type mostly VR and I work 8 hour days 4 days a week. I make at least $160.00 per day- add that up if I worked full 40 hour week or lordy if I worked overtime like years gone by. I get paid no more because of my years of doing this- work for national- the pay is low but I am fast. I just wanted to make about the same as when I worked in the office and set my goals accordingly.
I do VR, love it, make good money at it
and I have no idea why people who do not do, have not done, don’t plan on doing talk so much against it.
Depending on who you work for.... you can make good money
I usually average between $15-25 an hour doing VR. That is enough for me. I think it helps if you have companies that pay for footers, headers, spaces etc.. Good luck.
I make very good money at home with a small MTSO
They make darn good money at most large grocery stores
No, I don't tip them. If I thought they weren't getting paid hourly, then I might. I might tip someone who gave extra great service, like coming home and carrying them in the house for me, (j/k!) but most places where you are expected to tip, people just expect the tip and take it for granted anymore and don't always treat you well enough to deserve one!
Incompetent team leaders who keep switching rules and make you
switch accounts all the time.
But maybe mine is the only one that thinks she knows it all. What a witch!!
Also LOVE LOVE ESCRIPTION and make good money but...
Can I ask how you sit there for 8 hours. Lately, I'm having a motivation problem. When I focus, I can rack up the lines, but lately, I get so easily distracted. My mind wanders and I struggle to get my lines. Any tips on how you stay productive who do you work for?? I work for Transcend.
Make money? I'm not making any money because of my decision. You read my reasoning
You can agree with me or not, but don't make false assumptions please.
You're working to make money, not to spend money.
These people should be ashamed of themselves taking advantage of people this way!
I also blew some money signing up with Quixtar... The only way to make any money is to bug everyone
you know into signing up. I felt like a snake oil huckster. I hated it. I was flushing money down the toilet from the moment I handed over my money.
RUN, do not walk away! I do an entirely different side business now that I really love (in addition to my MTing, which I also love!) Find something you're good at and that you truly love doing. Then make a business out of it. That's the best way to have a side business. Selling discount toilet paper through Amway/Quixtar? Not so much.
radiologists and radiology services are very very tight with money - sm
You always have to keep an eye open for who is hiring and who is looking to switch to another service. I for one, have managed to get the work I had by just letting radiology offices know who I was and where I lived. My reputation spoke volumes and references even more. However, there will always be that one person or company that will undercut your rate just to get the work. But keep in mind, depending on the radiology office or radiologist, they may keep crap work just to save $$. Others will not, and eventually I always get called back.
You cannot expect people to just hand over their paycheck to you and say, "yeah, here is who I'm working for. Call them up." Would you want someone cutting into your paycheck? I know I wouldn't. Take the work while it is there. Feast or famine. And always keep YOUR OWN eyes open for business.
Thinking of trying to make a change...
I've been working now for nearly a year. Mostly I have done podiatry and clinic notes. I'm thinking of making a change to radiology or neuro/phsyc. Any tips on how to do this? I know podiatry terms and rarely have to look anything up anymore, but there doesn't seem to be much work out there for the subspecialty. Any advice would be great. I've been applying to every ad I see, but no replies yet.
I know a lot of new MTs go into acute care, but I'm finding I am far more productive working with one specialty rather than acute care or clinic notes.
Any advice? Thanks.
Oh, working in-office isn't an option because of where I live.
How really do you make money?
I know I'm new but at least I have a job Right???
Anyway editing VR at 3 cents a line and not being quick is frustrating... I have been working for a week and I think I made maybe if I'm lucky 200.00, now I left a job making 500.00 a week after taxes... Boy I am stupid... So much for this great career working at home blah blah... I guess I'm totally frustrated considering no one will hire you new and when you get a job they say here is some chicken feed... I can't live off of this, does anyone have any suggestions... I will there is something to be said for getting paid by the hour
I don't make any money and I am
I am paid an hourly rate based on the number of lines I edit. I'm trying to go back to being an MT. I took a job for this company that pays $12/hr. I am supposed to average 300 lines per hour. I can only get a raise if my average is more than this for 6 months.
I don't know about anybody else, but I don't see that I will ever be able to edit more than 300 lines an hour because it takes time to provide feedback.
You cannot do it well and make money sm
by constantly stopping to work to attend to children, errands, family business. If you want to make money, you have to treat it like what it is, a real job.
i make my money on them.
they are easy and i rarely have to look up words.
you won't make any money
if you cann't understand what they are saying. You will sit twiddling your thumbs, going ARHGGH! 7 cpl is not good either, but at least you could be making something compared to nothing with ESL. Making < $5 an hour typing ESL versus maybe $10 an hour at 7 cpl... Hard choice..
When did you make the most money?
Was your line rate higher when you started, halfway through, or now?
One year and you make decent money? What is decent money to you?
k
I was just thinking if I could be a mind reader, I could make a fortune. Doctors driving me crazy
$1.25 to $2 good for radiology?
I am used to being paid per line and am wondering if $1.25 to $2 per report is good for radiology? This company tells me that the average report is 30 lines so I am guessing it is not just general x-ray reports.
Thanks
Good money? Can we ask how much is considered GOOD in your books????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Good thinking!
Intelligent way to handle it.
Needing to make some money.....
I just started a new job and really like it when I have work but the problem is that I do 2 or 3 reports and then it's gone for 20 or 30 minutes. I can't make any money doing a report here and there....I've asked for a backup account but they are saying everything is low right now. What do I do? I don't want to switch companies again when I just started this one, but my bills aren't waiting simply because I don't have any work. I didn't get to work Friday or Monday at all. Yesterday, I finally did my minimum (I want to do a lot more than that) but it took me until 11:00 last night to do it because I had to work here and there all day long..........Just wondering if this is the case for a lot of people. Guess I just needed to vent.
How to make money MTing
I'm an occasional lurker and infrequent poster. I see so many posts regarding inability to make money that I thought I would post some ideas in the hope it might help someone. However, I don't expect my post to ever see the light of day as every time I do post, my post disappears faster than a snowball in the desert.
I believe anyone can still make money doing MT provided:
1. You take the time to thoroughly learn your terminology, not just words, but a thorough understanding. You will never make money if your fingers are flipping through books instead of being on the keyboard. Learning takes time and effort. IMHO learning can't be done with small children underfoot any more than you would take your children to a classroom and expect to learn. Once you are a seasoned MT and know your job the way you know the back of your hand, then, yes, you can work with the children (or a tornado) around you.
If you aren't willing to commit to #1 then there is no use reading on.
2. You MUST work for a company that isn't constantly running out of work. No work, no money, doesn't matter how much knowledge you have or how fast you type. If your company consistently runs out of work, do yourself a favor and move on. I would suggest keeping the old job until you try out the new company lest you find you have jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
3. Nevermind "how I've always done it." Right or wrong, your obligation is to the place that signs your paycheck. If you "can't remember" changes, make a macro that will remind you. Same with verbatim. Forget what you "have always done" and condition yourself, right or wrong, to type exactly what is dictated, no more, no less.
Now to increase your pay:
1. Really work at increasing your typing speed. There is something to be said for learning to type on an old standard Underwood typewriter and doing the exercises "the quick brown fox jumped over the hollow log" and "now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." It really works.
2. Use your word expander to the max. I first use all the accepted medical abbreviations. I then go to what I can easily remember as my abbreviations. For instance I use ASHD2 to spell out when dicitated. I use the first 2 letters of each word in a 2 word phrase i.e. stco (stable condition). Pay attention to anything a given physician dictates consistently and put it in your word expander. Most people can edit faster than they type.
3. Learn to proof as you go. It can be done. My kids used to laugh at me because they said my mouth was constantly moving when I was typing. Still does. That's because I'm also reading as I'm typing. Train yourself to do this and you won't have to waste time going back and proofing.
4. Learn to be an accurate typist. You will be surprised how much time you spend backing up to correct typing errors. That is what spellcheck is for but that also wastes time. Don't waste time backing up to correct typos, wait for spellcheck and remember that the seconds you spend correcting typos, even with spellcheck, makes a big difference at the end of the day.
5. Take your job seriously. If your fingers aren't on the keyboard, you aren't making money. My routine is that I work as hard as I can until I reach 1/2 of my daily goal, which is twice the minimum that is required. Once I have reached that point I allow myself to do other things. Like I will type 2 or 3 reports, do a load of laundry or whatever. I also DO NOT answer the phone until I have reached the 1/2 mark. That includes visiting this or any other board. I've already reached my 1/2 point today and I'm feeling a little bored, it being Friday and all. Even then, I am mindful that time is money and I limit the time I spend on doing other things.
6. Get over the excuse that you are constantly changing accounts. You're paid to do whatever comes across your screen. Teach yourself to "file" account specifics in your brain so they automatically come up with the account...it can be done. Don't be afraid of new accounts or new dictators. Remember it's all the same WORDS just spoken by different voices.
It doesn't matter how much I make because that doesn't help any of you. Let's just say it's up there with the highest producers who post here and I am also an "old dog". I've been MTing probably about as long as most of you have been on this earth and believe it or not, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. :)
Hope this little bit of info will help someone and I hope it stays up long enough to do so.
Can one make money at etransplus?
Hi,
I am pleased with the benefit package and the line rate for insurance, but I was astounded by style they prefer. It is just so much. Can one make money there?
and, i didn't make THAT much money nm
nm
Most of the men I know in this field make more money than
I think they do less bonding with coworkers and seem to focus better.
I do PT and make tons of money...sm
very easy work. Few ESL in that field and they are very agreeable to working with you. Lots of word Expander phrases, hardly any drugs, no labs. Love it. Make more money in PT with less cpl than any of my other accounts just because I can crank it out.
You make more money doing MT than in journalism?
I have been an MTSO/had my own accounts and made LOTS of money in MT. BUT, my friend who has a degree in journalism is doing so much better than I am. She has a home in Marietta, Georgia that I only WISH were mine. And then she has a second home and the SECOND home was $300,000. That home is just for them to stay in when they go to another state and visit relatives. It is nowhwere near as nice as their home in Atlanta.
Does anybody make money VR editing?
I am considering taking a position doing this and I wonder if you can make a living at it. A poster below said that if you are a fast typist you will lose money, but if you are a 150-200 lph typist can you break even? I would like to hear from anyone who actually does VR editing either full-time or part-time. What's the scoop?
And what do you consider "a ton of money" ? What do you make weekly? nm
x
What else could you do and make this kind of money? sm
If you still make great money in it, at least 50K per year, as I do, then it is still hot. if not, it is not hot.
keep daycare. you can't do everything and make money.
i know...tried it.
No, if you cannot produce enough to make the money you need,
It's not the industry's fault some do not have the aptitude to make what they want.
I am, but not because of pay. I make decent money, more than I would
make in most fields today that don't require a degree or experience. I'm just burned out with the monotony of it. Type, type, type and then type some more because the account is behind and others aren't pulling their weight, so type, type, type, go to bed without spending time with family, exhausted, kitchen not cleaned up, and get up the next day and do the same thing all over again. You have no control over your paycheck because you are paid by production. If you have one of those days where you get the worst dictators or the sound quality is really bad you don't make your lines. If you don't feel well you don't make your lines.
I've done this nearly 20 years, about 19 more than I ever thought I would, but I'm tired, I don't enjoy my job, and I want to do something different. My problem is that I need to be home 5 more years and I don't know what I can do and make the money I need to make.
It is NOT an easy way to make money
and most companies advertising at-home training and promising the moon are out for your money. Medical transcription is a CAREER and not a JOB. Stick with engineering and do some crafting on the side to make "extra money."
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